Broadway's Smash Hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL to Perform on PBS' A CAPITOL FOURTH, America's National Independence Day Celebration, Live From the U.S. Capitol

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Jun 27, 2013, 12:17 ET

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The 33^rd annual broadcast of A CAPITOL FOURTH on PBS will feature over thirty cast members, including Tony Award^® nominee Brandon Victor Dixon, Saycon Sengbloh and 2013 Tony Award^® nominee Valisia LeKae, from Broadway's new smash hit MOTOWN THE MUSICAL. The company's medley of legendary Motown hits from the Broadway musical will include "Stop in the Name of Love," "Get Ready" and "Dancing in the Street" arranged and orchestrated for the majestic National Symphony Orchestra by 2013 Tony Award^® nominees Ethan Popp and Bryan Crook.

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MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the sole Broadway production selected for the event and features the largest Broadway cast ever to perform on A CAPITOL FOURTH. Hosted by two-time Emmy Award-winning television personality Tom Bergeron (DANCING WITH THE STARS), America's National Independence Day celebration is broadcast live from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol on Thursday, July 4, 2013 from 8:00 to 9:30 p.m. ET before a concert audience of hundreds of thousands, millions more at home, as well as to our troops serving around the world on the American Forces Network. The program can also be heard live over NPR member stations nationwide.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL producer Kevin McCollum said: "The Motown sound became an engine for change that transformed the fabric of this country. It taught us to sing together, then dance together, and, finally, work towards living together in harmony. It is a story that could have only happened in America, so it seems appropriate for Motown The Musical to celebrate Independence Day in the heart of our nation's capital with 'A Capitol Fourth.'"

A CAPITOL FOURTH will also feature performances by: music legend Barry Manilow, Candice Glover, the Season 12 winner of AMERICAN IDOL; country music artist Scotty McCreery (winner of AMERICAN IDOL); actor and singer Darren Criss (GLEE); musical prodigy and classical crossover star Jackie Evancho; Broadway and television star Megan Hilty (SMASH); and five-time Academy Award-winner John Williams conducting music from the Oscar-winning blockbuster LINCOLN; with the National Symphony Orchestra under the direction of top pops conductor Jack Everly.

Broadway's biggest box office hit of the year, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL, featuring music and lyrics from the legendary Motown catalogue and a book by Berry Gordy opened at The Lunt-Fontanne Theatre on April 14.

Directed by Charles Randolph-Wright, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL is the real story of the one-of-a-kind sound that hit the airwaves in 1959 and changed our culture forever. This exhilarating show charts Motown Founder Berry Gordy's incredible journey from featherweight boxer to the heavyweight music mogul who launched the careers of Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, Marvin Gaye and many more.

Featuring all the classics you love, MOTOWN THE MUSICAL tells the story behind the hits as Diana, Smokey, Berry and the whole Motown family fight against the odds to create the soundtrack of change in America. The music that shattered barriers, shaped our lives and made us all move to the same beat finally comes to Broadway in the season's most anticipated world-premiere event.

MOTOWN THE MUSICAL stars Tony Award^® nominee Brandon Victor Dixon (The Color Purple) and Valisia LeKae (The Book of Mormon) in the leading roles of Berry Gordy and Diana Ross and features Charl Brown (Jersey Boys) as Smokey Robinson and Bryan Terrell Clark as Marvin Gaye leading an ensemble cast of 40.